


Trapiche Emerald

by CocoaChoux



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Female Eren Yeager, Female Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Female Levi/Female Eren Yeager, Jeweler Levi, Thief Eren Yeager
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 08:16:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13026966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocoaChoux/pseuds/CocoaChoux
Summary: How a thief became a jewel.





	Trapiche Emerald

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Red_Faerie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Faerie/gifts).



> *blows the dust off this account*
> 
> Er, hello again! Sorry for not updating for months. I don't really have much of an excuse but please forgive me for disappearing. OTL But of course when I come back to writing, I gotta go all out. Months of nothing and then a 13k one-shot. Ahahahaha~ 
> 
> This is a very belated birthday gift to my dear friend Nat! Last year they had [this prompt](http://redfairyart.tumblr.com/post/147173163054/rockergirl404-redfairyart-jewel-thief-eren) on their blog and I bookmarked it because it looked interesting and I knew I wanted to write about it one day and the time is now. I hope you don't mind a few creative liberties with this Nat! I made them fems because I know that you like fems as well. ;w;
> 
> This is also a collab with magickitt. (Yes, we teamed up for a double gift for our favourite alien. :D) Please finish reading until the end to see the accompanying art that goes along with this! ^O^

A shadowy figure ran across the rooftops during a clear, starry evening, hopping between the gaps and landing gracefully on top of the next house as they continued. Only the sounds of their uneven breaths and heeled boots stepping on various roof shingles were heard in the otherwise quiet night. They hid behind chimney stacks on occasion, using the darkness of the night to hide their appearance whenever they heard the passing of a car down below them before breaking off into another run. They resumed jumping through the city with incredible athleticism, only to stop when they reached a particularly tall building a few ways away from the main city. The mysterious figure adjusted the hood they were wearing before shooting off a grappling hook to the very top of the structure and propelled themselves to the very top. After reeling in their equipment, they made their way to a door, knocking three times and scratching the polished wooden surface once.

They didn’t wait long until the door opened and was greeted by someone in a suit and glasses to hide their identity. A nod was all that was exchanged between the two of them before they were escorted down the spiraling staircase that led to another door. The person in the suit opened the door and allowed the hooded figure to step inside, letting the door close behind them. “She’s here, boss.”

There were others in the room with identical suits and glasses, watching her as she approached the desk that was lit up by a lamp in the corner. Her eyes caught with the person sitting casually at the desk, an older gentleman, whose face was unhidden compared to the others in the room, smiled as she came closer. “Ah, Ms. Yeager. Glad to see that you’re back and well.”

Pulling off her hood, she ran her hand through her hair and undid the bun from the back, letting loose curls frame her face. Fanning herself, she looked at him with an annoyed expression. “I told you to call me Eren, old man.”

“And I told you to call me Pixis. I’m not even 50 yet.” Chuckling, he leaned forward. “I take it that the mission went well?”

Grabbing the bag that was attached to her belt, she unhooked it and gently placed it on his desk. “Of course, sir. Security was, in all honesty, a joke. Everything went off without a hitch.”

“See, this is why you’re my favorite. You always tell me what I want to hear.” Opening the bag, he pulled out an engraved box. Nothing special, but it was what it was holding inside the reason why Pixis sent her out on this mission.

Eren resisted the urge to wince when sparkles entered her line of sight. A gold [Paraiba tourmaline ring](http://www.thejewelleryeditor.com/media/images_thumbnails/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/16/10/16100c45-4925-496c-a6c2-f9c82360f5d7/rachael_taylor_wearing_kat_florence_paraiba_ring.jpg__760x0_q75_crop-scale_subsampling-2_upscale-false.jpg) was pulled out from the case as Pixis examined it. The tear-shaped gemstone was surrounded by diamonds that glimmered in the dark room. While Eren was never one to wear jewelry herself, even she could tell that it was an impressive piece. It certainly must have cost a small fortune for that little thing.

Pixis hummed in approval as he placed the ring back into the box. “Good work, Eren. Do you want to be paid with the usual method?”

Eren nodded, watching as the ring was given to one of Pixis more trusted assistants. “That would be great, thanks. Is there anything else you need me for?”

“Not for now. Go rest and I’ll let you know when something comes up.”

Hearing the dismissal, she nodded and left the room with the door adjacent to the one that she entered in. Walking down the countless doors, she reached one near the end, a room that was given to her by Pixis. Locking the door behind her, she took off all of her gear and left it on the table so that someone could safely stow it away for the next mission. She took off her hooded cape and then her bodysuit came right after. Bundling the articles of clothing, she tossed them into the provided hamper and changed into the civilian clothing that she came in with. Checking herself one last time in the mirror to make sure nothing was amiss, she left the place as quickly and quietly as she could.

Walking in the middle of the night should be scary for any normal individual but unfortunately for Eren’s case, it was the norm for her. While most of the time she was left undisturbed when she walked home, she was always on high alert in fear of being caught from her missions or worse, a drunken idiot stumbling down the streets would try to take their chances with her.

As if anyone could take her down. Hah.

Regardless, she took the safest and quickest route home. The mission was an easier one this time and for that, she was grateful for the extra hours of sleep she could sneak in before she started work.

Her ‘normal’ work. The one that didn’t require her running in the middle of the night, breaking into rich families’ homes to steal their valuables.

Shaking her head from her thoughts, she sped up her pace when her apartment came into view. Deciding to take the stairs, she climbed up to the fifth floor of the apartment complex. When the door finally clicked shut behind her, she leaned back and let out a heavy sigh.

The apartment was covered in darkness as it should be. Taking out her phone for the first time since she went to Pixis’s earlier, she saw that it was only four in the morning. She usually got home around six, early enough to see the sunrise but this time she was lucky to be back while the moon was still out.

Navigating the apartment with familiarity, she entered her room and flopped onto her bed.

Sleep came easy for her the moment she closed her eyes.

* * *

“-is? Eren? It’s time to wake up.”

Eren wanted nothing more than to curl up and bury herself under her blankets. However, the tugging of the sheets made her groan in exasperation. “Izzy, no…” It took all her might to open her eyes to see her little sister, cocking her hip to the side as she crossed her arms.

Isabel shook her head. “It’s almost time for me to go to school and for you to go to work. Get up already, I made breakfast for us.”

Eren rolled over and looked at her blearily. “By breakfast, you mean toast and cereal.”

Her sister pursed her lips. “It’s not like we can afford more than that.”

“Sorry.” Quick with her apology, Eren offered her a smile. “It’s early. I’ll go get ready now.”

“‘Kay.”

Watching her leave, Eren finally got out of her bed and stretched. Sunlight filled the small bedroom, devoid of any furniture besides the bed and closet. Wrinkling her nose from her own morning breath, she quickly made her way to the bathroom to start her day.

Isabel was sitting in the kitchen when she finished getting ready, absentmindedly eating her cereal while she was distracted by her phone. Waltzing by her, Eren couldn’t resist ruffling the top of her sister’s head, ignoring the indignant grunt sent her way, as she pulled the milk out of the fridge.

Settling across from her with her own food, she asked, “Any plans for today?”

Isabel shrugged, putting down her phone to give Eren her undivided attention. “Going to meet up with my groupmates after school at the library to work on our history project.”

“What’s it about?”

“We have to make a timeline about significant events that happened in the state we were assigned to and then present it to the class next week.”

“Ugh.”

“Same.”

Breakfast went by with their usual banter and before they knew it, it was time for Isabel to head for school. Eren looked at her curiously when Isabel fidgeted across from her with a frown on her face, a habit that she did when she wanted to talk about something. “What’s wrong?”

Isabel’s eyes darted to her bag before looking back at her sister. “Well, um, there’s supposed to be a school trip out of the city in a few months for one of my classes and… uh…”

Eren lowered her gaze. “Oh.”

At the tone, Isabel threw her hands up. “B-but it’s okay! It’s not absolutely required for me to go. I’m sure I can make up an excuse and-”

“Izzy.” Placing her hand on top of hers, Eren smiled to calm the frantic movements. “It’s okay. I can talk to Pixis about increasing our expenses temporarily. I’m sure he’ll be okay with it.”

“I know, but…”

“It’s only out of the city, not out of the country,” Eren tried to reason. “If you have information about the trip, why don’t you give it to me and I’ll take a look at it and let you know, okay?”

Isabel nodded and pulled out a few sheets of paper and handed it to her. “It’s not due for another week or so.”

“That’s great, thanks.”

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she leaned forward and gave Eren a hug. “You’re the best. Be safe today.”

Eagerly returning the hug, she gave her a tight squeeze before letting go. “You too. Don’t get in too much trouble.” Waving farewell to her sister, Eren gathered the dishes and began washing them. Once finished, she took a look at the packet and surmised that it was only a few hundred dollars for expenses for the trip. Sighing, she mentally began preparing how she would bring it up to Pixis and how many extra missions she might take in order to pay for it.

It was never always this way. The missions, the money issue.

She lived a normal life when she was young. A loving mother and father with a nice big house due to her mother working at a production facility and her father’s job as a respectable doctor. She lived her childhood with smiles and tantrums like all children and her joy was at the highest point when her sister, Isabel, was born. The two girls would drive their parents crazy with their energy but they made their home livelier and they both knew that despite their parents’ scolding, they still loved them regardless.

It wasn’t until when Eren came back home from one of her college classes did she receive news about their mother’s passing. Some faulty wiring caused an explosion at their mother’s workplace and she was there at the wrong time.

It was never the same after that.

After their mother’s funeral, their father wasn’t the same man they loved and respected anymore. While Eren continued to watch over Isabel, he would spend his nights drinking or gambling and wouldn’t return home until the early mornings and was seen passed out on the couch. At first, she was saddened, feeling empathetic since her father lost the love of his life. But soon those feelings turned into anger when he would disappear for long periods of time, even when she spoke to him about what he was doing and how it was affecting the family. She did her best in the meanwhile taking care of Isabel, waiting for their father to get his act together.

Then one day, he disappeared.

They didn’t notice it at first since he often left for days without letting them know. It was only when the door was being repeatedly knocked by different people did they realize that they were in trouble. Their father borrowed money from various loan companies for his gambling addiction. The first few times, the loan people would leave them alone since they were young and unaware what was going on. But then they grew persistent when they couldn’t find where he was. Eren and Isabel quickly learned not to open the door at any cost and to not make any sounds until they were absolutely certain they left. The house line was disconnected and the front door was practically bolted shut. Eren had to take a leave from school and started working two full-time jobs in order to earn as much money as she possibly could. Isabel even offered to help but Eren put her foot down saying that she wanted Isabel to be properly educated and that she was too young anyway to get a job.

She managed to pay off some of the smaller loans, but it was the bigger (illegal) loan companies that were making outrageous demands and jacking up the interest rate. It was damn near impossible for her to pay back the amounts they were asking for in such a short time. Eventually, one day, one of them snapped from impatience and physically grabbed her.

“Listen here you bitch, if you don’t have the money then we’re going to ransack your house and sell everything that you own.”

“Try it,” Eren growled back. She didn’t bother fighting her way out of his grip, figuring out that angering the person who held her captive wasn’t going to help her in any way. She needed to think, fast.

“Hey, doesn’t she have a little sister? She looked like she was around 12 or 13.”

Her heart stopped beating and all the blood drained from her face as she slowly turned to the rest of the group members that had disgusting smirks on their faces.

“Yeah. She could probably be sold for a pretty penny.” One of them had the audacity to grab her hair and yanked her face to them. “We could also use the older one in other ways than just selling her straight.”

Something inside her broke. Gritting her teeth, she leaned her head back and collided as hard as she could to the bastard’s smug face. Taking advantage of the others being stunned by her actions, she yanked the arm that was being held and threw her captor to the others with a frustrated yell.

It was a blur after that. She remembered punches being thrown around and her hair being yanked back more often than she could count. Despite the hits she was taking, she didn’t register any of the pain, running on sheer adrenaline and the need to protect. There was no way that she would allow them to take away the only family she had left. She needed to be there for Isabel like how she needed Isabel to be there for her.

Only when arms wrapped around her middle to pull her up to stand did she realize that her hands were throbbing with traces of blood on her knuckles. Her eyes went blank when her line of sight trailed to one of the loan sharks on the ground, face all bloody from a broken nose and swells were forming around his eyes. His comrades were nowhere to be seen, most likely running away when she went out of control.

Hands shaking, she felt nauseous and would’ve collapsed if it were not for the arms still holding her straight. “Whoa there, little miss. Take it easy.”

Twisting around, she was met with a face of an old man, one that she didn’t recognize. Skeptical of who the stranger was, she relaxed her posture a bit and nodded.

Seeing that she wasn’t going to attack him, he let go of her and made sure that she was standing properly. Reaching into his pocket, he offered her his handkerchief. “For your tears, miss.”

Fingertips touching her face, she noticed the warm tears streaking down her cheeks. Accepting the cloth, she wiped away the remnants off her face. “Thank you. And sorry.”

“You have done nothing for you to apologize for. Not to me, anyway.” He gently nudged the body on the floor. “You did quite a number on him, hm?”

“Who are you?” she blurted out. If it was any other regular person, they would be asking questions about this situation and/or called the police and despite the circumstances, she beat a person half to death!

This man did neither, though. Instead, he remained composed at the sight and looked rather amused if the glint in his eye was anything to go by. “Oh, where are my manners? Dot Pixis at your service, my dear.” He bowed slightly at her curious gaze before straightening his back. “I’m here to speak with Grisha Yeager if he’s home.”

“He’s not.” The answer was spat out with disdain. “He’s gone. Packed up and left. No way to reach him.”

Pixis’s expression remained unchanged. “Ah, I see. And I presume you’re his daughter?”

Eren bit the bottom of her lip harshly. Despite Pixis’s so-far pleasant demeanor, she couldn’t trust him. He was another loan shark. Of course he was. Why else would anyone visit their house? Crossing her arms, she shot a glare at him. “The name’s Eren. Look, if it’s about money that – _Grisha_ borrowed, just give me the number. I can’t pay it in full right away but I’m willing to work out multiple installments of if you don’t mind waiting a bit longer.”

Pixis’s face fell. “Dear, you can’t possibly pay the whole amount of what he borrowed. It’s far too much for you and even if you sold the house, it still wouldn’t be enough.”

“Then what else am I supposed to do?!” She was tired. So, so very tired. “My mother’s dead and my shitty father left me and my sister by ourselves to pay off his debt. I dropped out of school and I’m working two full-time jobs to pay it off but it’s still not enough.” The stress finally caught up with her and caused a crack in the shell that she created for herself when Grisha left.

The tears resurfaced again, blurring her vision. “What else can I do now? I can’t- I need to make sure my sister is okay. I can’t abandon her. I can’t.” She couldn’t stop the tears. She didn’t care that she was practically venting out to a stranger and bawling her eyes out. There wasn’t a single fuck left in her that she could give. She just wanted to sleep and wake up thinking that the past few months was just an overly-long nightmare.

A hand prodded her shoulder and she blinked back the tears as best as she could. She closed her eyes when the handkerchief she was holding onto was now in his hand, gently wiping her cheeks from any tracks.

“Don’t cry, Ms. Yeager,” he said softly. “I’m weak when it comes to women and tears.”

She sniffed and didn’t say anything to that.

“I have a proposition for you.”

That got her attention. “What is it?”

“Let me buy you.” Ignoring the way her eyes immediately narrowed, he continued, “I’ll pay off any other debts that your father owes so that the only person you have to pay off is me.”

“What’s the condition?” That sounded too generous for a stranger to offer that after 10 minutes of meeting each other, especially since she emotionally broke down within minutes of said meeting.

Half of Pixis’s smile was covered by his mustache. “You work for me. I’ve seen the way that you’ve taken down those men. Your technique is rough but your instincts are good. I would love to polish your skills to make you better as an asset for my company.”

“What kind of work is it? Do I have to kill someone?” It still sounded suspicious, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up but there had to be more to it than he was letting on.

Pixis laughed. “No, you won’t be killing anyone, but the nature of your work is a secret until you accept my offer. What do you say?”

Weighing her options, she was sorely tempted to say yes. What she would be doing would most likely be illegal, but there wasn’t much else she could do to pay off the debts quickly without others hunting her down for more than she could afford. But there was one other thing that was holding her back from agreeing to his crazy proposal.

“I will accept on one condition.”

“What is it?”

“Leave my sister out of this at all cost. I don’t want her to be involved in this whole mess.”

Pixis nodded. “Understandable. So, do we have a deal?” Stick his arm out, he waited patiently for her answer.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she shook his hand. “Deal.”

Pixis, Eren soon found out, was a man of action and power. Not even an hour after their agreement, Pixis called up his men to clean up the mess that was in front of the house while they discussed what her job was in his organization.

Simply put, she would be stealing. Stealing from richer and influential families who could afford extravagant luxuries. Her build was lean but she had muscles underneath and strength to back it up. He would have his workers train her so that she would be able ready to work on missions immediately.

Isabel knew, shortly after, what happened while she was at school. Eren gave her vague details of what transpired but Isabel accepted her explanation nonetheless, feeling guilty that her sister was bearing the weight of their situation alone and did what she could to help make it easier for them by not prying and asking for specifics. They were instructed to pack up and move to an apartment that Pixis has already set up for them to stay in case more aggressive loan sharks would turn up at their doorstep again.

It was a rough start at first. They moved into a new home and Eren had a new life. She had to quit her second job when training took up most of her time in the evenings. The training was grueling and she always came home exhausted. Isabel fretted over her but Eren always reassured her that everything was going to be okay before sending her off to school with a smile. Sometimes, she would sit in the apartment alone and anxiously wait for the door to knock, waiting for people to yell on the other side demanding money. But they never did. Pixis kept his promise and because of that, Eren grew to trust him.

A few weeks later, she was sent off on her first mission. It was a small one – stealing a pair of diamond earrings from a wealthy family that would go unnoticed. There were a few missteps along the way but she retrieved the earrings successfully and brought it to Pixis who had a smile on his face.

From there on, she was sent off for more missions just so she could get the hang of it. And before she knew it, she became confident in her stealth abilities as though what she was doing was just regular work. She would steal various things: gold, USBs that held important information, prized medals, vases, paintings, authentic display weapons, and so forth. But her most common heists were stealing jewelry since they were small and easy to grab but still very valuable and expensive.

To be honest, Eren doesn’t know what Pixis does with what she had stolen for him. Whether he was using it for blackmail or selling it anonymously in a market, she didn’t care. He provided enough for her and her sister to have a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs and he was more than flexible if they had any other expenses they would come across (though, she tried to keep it as minimal as possible to pay back the debt faster). To her, Pixis was her savior and she would keep working for him, even if her line of work was morally questionable.

Eren woke up from her reverie when her phone sounded off. She knew that ringtone. She has it set specifically for him, after all. Picking up her phone, she frowned, wondering what he needed her for especially since the last mission was just a few hours ago. “Pixis?”

“Eren, I have another assignment for you.”

* * *

Across the city, a broad man sat behind a screen at a desk. Blue eyes scanned the contents of the screen until he was distracted by a single knock before the door of his office opened. Not even sparing the person who came in a glance, he sighed. “Levi. You didn’t wait for me to call you in again.”

A snort escaped from the woman who invaded his workspace. She sauntered her way to his desk and sat on the chair across from him. “When have I ever listened to you, Erwin?”

Rolling his eyes at her teasing, he turned his monitor to her. “We have another one.”

“Another commission piece? Erwin, you know I can’t-”

“No,” he shook his head firmly, “Another dissatisfied customer. Their ring got stolen last night.”

She hummed in disinterest. “And? Their fault for having lax security, it’s got nothing to do with us unless they want to pay for another one.”

“It does have something to do with us when lately, jewelry from our store gets stolen at least once a week or so from our clients’ homes.” Turning the screen away from her, he leaned back in his chair. “You know that these robberies will affect our reputation one way or another.”

“I guess,” was the response.

“Levi…”

She sighed loudly. “I know, Erwin. I’m just fucking with you.” Standing up, she straightened her dress shirt and pants and adjusted her dual-winged brooch. “Try to find out the person or people responsible for these robberies, got it.”

Lacing his hands together, he smiled. “I knew I could count on you.”

Giving him a mock salute, she shut the door behind her with a click. Waiting until she’s no longer in the vicinity, he took out his phone and re-read the text that was sent to him earlier by an unknown number.

Eyes turned calculative as he deleted the message. “I have a feeling that we’ll find who it is sooner than we expect.”

* * *

Sirens were blaring in the middle of the night, waking up parts of the city from how loud they were. Eren dropped down between two buildings, trying to regain her breath as the sounds grew louder.

“Why, oh why did you send me there, Pixis?” Gritting her teeth, Eren pressed herself to the side of a wall as a police car ran by. “Fuck!”

It was another jewelry heist. Normally she would have a few days or so to recover from each assignment but for some reason, he wanted to target the house of a former police chief that very night. It was most likely because the former police chief was away from the house in order to accept an award in the city or something, but the security was amped up to a higher degree than what she was used to, making her trigger an alarm that sent the police department after her.

“He’s a former police chief for crying out loud. Why does he have to be so extra careful about his belongings?” she muttered. Pushing herself off the wall, she ran between alleyways trying to get away from the sounds of sirens. She ran out of gas from her equipment from running away from the police department but she got most of them out of her tail aside from the few who were patrolling the area.

She couldn’t walk out there and pretend to be a normal civilian with her bodysuit on. That already pointed her out as suspicious. Pixis’s headquarters was still too far away and there was no way she could get home like this either. Isabel didn’t know the exact nature of her job and she didn’t want to pose any danger to her whatsoever. The only thing she could really do is to hide and hope that they call off the search in a few hours.

Hiding behind a couch that was meant to be thrown away, she released a breath. She never had her phone on her during missions so she couldn’t contact Pixis or Izzy nor did she know what time it was. Groaning in defeat, she leaned her head back but something fluttered at the side of her vision.

Curtains – a window, and an opened one at that. Whipping her head around to take a better look, it seemed that there were no lights on inside either which could mean that the tenant inside forgot to close the window before they went to sleep or that they weren’t inside. Maybe she could hide in there? But if there was in fact someone in there, she could probably take them out before they could see her face.

Taking her chances, Eren scaled up the wall, using the picks that were a part of her equipment to climb up to the window. As quietly as she could, she slipped through the window-

-and was immediately slammed into the carpet.

She grunted, thankful that there was something to break her fall, but started wrestling from the strong grip that held her down. “Let go of me.”

“Who the fuck are you?” It was a deep yet feminine voice. Eren struggled to turn to face the person but her face was pushed back down again. “Answer the question.”

“If you let go of me, I’ll tell you. Please, I mean no harm.” There were scuffles here and there during her missions but she has never actually injured someone like she did those years ago when Pixis found her and she wasn’t going to start now, especially not to a civilian despite the rough treatment.

Eren held her breath when the grip loosened and the body that held her down finally let up. Slowly, just to make sure she was keeping her word, she sat up and looked at the apartment resident.

And then immediately looked away, a furious blush on her face when she saw that the other person was naked. “Uhm…”

“What? You’ve never seen a woman naked before?” Even though Eren couldn’t see her, she was sure that she was crossing her arms when she asked that.

Making sure she still wasn’t looking at her, Eren kept her head down. “I- yes, but- er…”

There were some shuffling sounds of cloth and Eren hoped that she was covering herself with something. “There, happy?”

Daring to look up, she was relieved that the woman tied a towel above her chest, and now that she noticed, the woman’s black hair was dripping water down her neck and also on the floor. “Oh. I’m so sorry,” Eren apologized. She must have been caught right after a shower.

“I didn’t ask for apologies, I asked who the fuck you are.”

“Eren,” she said immediately. There was something about her voice that she couldn’t help but answer. “And you are…?”

“Levi,” was the curt response. “Now, Eren, what are you doing here breaking into my apartment?”

“I’m not here to steal from you or anything. I just needed somewhere to hide.”

Levi looked unimpressed. “To hide,” she repeated.

Eren cowered under her piercing glare. “Yes.”

Levi scanned her, presumably to see if she had any weapons on her. Eren shifted uncomfortably and tightened the hold on her hood. Eyes landing on hers for a second, Levi’s eyes narrowed in on the pouch she had attached on her belt. “What’s in there.”

Eren knew a demand when she heard it. Unlooping the ropes off her belt, she undid the ties to take out a velvet box. Opening it, a large [star rose quartz necklace](https://www.instagram.com/p/BDI46Bcw77N/?taken-by=jewelrydesignsct) shone under the moonlight filtering through the window. Diamonds encircled the gemstone and was strung together by a rose gold chain. It was simple but very beautiful. She could see why Pixis asked her to steal this one.

Closing it, she put it back in her bag. “Please don’t tell anybody.”

For some reason, recognition flashed through Levi’s eyes before she promptly marched off in frustration. “I can’t fucking believe it.” Stopping herself, she turned to Eren. “I’m not going to call the cops but I want you to stay right there and don’t move until I tell you to.” She left down the hallway and Eren could only guess that she was going to change into clothes. Good. Eren didn’t know if she could handle the beautiful naked woman in front of her for much longer. Flexing her wrist, she could still feel the faint grip she had on her and despite the trouble she knew she was in, her heart skipped a beat.

_‘Get a grip, Eren. Even if we met in different circumstances she’s way out of your league.’_

The lights were suddenly switched on and Levi strolled back into the living room in an oversized shirt and sweatpants. The towel was now on her neck as she wiped her hair and neck with it to absorb the drips hanging off of her.

_‘Kill me now.’_

The doorbell rang as though it could hear her inner thoughts. Levi went to open the door and Eren bristled, wondering if Levi did, in fact, call the cops and they were already here to arrest her. Standing guard, Eren backed away slowly to the window and the moment her hands held onto the ledge, Levi’s voice called out to her.

“I didn’t call the cops so don’t try to escape. There’s someone who’s here to meet you.”

Someone was here to meet her? Who could it be? The only people she kept close contact with was her sister and Pixis. She never met Levi before in her life (she would’ve damn well remembered if they did) so who could she had possibly have known that was looking for her?

A large blond man stepped in and it was comical to see how he had to duck down to get inside, else he would have bumped his head on the doorframe. He nodded at Levi in greeting before walking towards her. Eren’s senses were still on high alert when he approached. “Good evening. You’re Eren, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Erwin Smith, president and founder of the Jewels of Freedom. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

When she shook his hand, she looked at him blankly. ““The Jewels of Freedom”?”

Levi grunted behind Erwin. “I told you that it was a shitty name.”

“How rude, Levi. You know how long it took for me to figure out a name.”

“Not long enough.”

“Levi.”

Ignoring their bickering, Eren’s mind was racing. The Jewels of Freedom? Where had she heard that name before? Shifting her weight to her other foot, she felt the jewelry box bump into her thigh and it made her blanch.

The Jewels of Freedom. That was the name of the business that she frequently stole from their clients of their jewelry from. Recently, Pixis has been targeting this particular brand for some time and she has been stealing them without question and now the president of this company was right in front of her. Fuck.

“-ren? Are you alright?”

She snapped back into focus when Erwin looked at her with concern. “Do you need water or anything? I can see that Levi was a bit rough on you.”

“She was breaking into my apartment. What did you think that I was going to do?”

Waving her off, Erwin guided Eren onto the couch. “Eren, I would like to ask you a few questions if that’s alright with you.”

“Please don’t call the cops.” Her eyes were begging him. “Please, I can’t get caught.”

Seeing how distraught she was, he rested his hand on hers. Allowing her to breathe, he spoke in a calm voice, “We won’t. I just need to ask you a few things.”

He reminded her so much of Pixis when they first met. Nodding, she stopped her tense posture and waited for whatever questions he may have for her.

“First off, did you steal from the former police chief’s home tonight?”

“Yes.”

“And you have it on you right now?”

She nodded.

“Do you mind if I take a look at it?”

Inhaling sharply, she glanced between Erwin and Levi, who was seated near them on a lounge chair. They had unreadable expressions on their faces but Eren didn’t sense any ill-will from either of them. Taking the box out like she did earlier, she handed it over to Erwin’s hands.

He opened the case, eyes scanning the details and fingers tracing the chains of the necklace. “Well, this development turned out faster than I thought it would,” he whispered so quietly to himself that Eren nor Levi was able to hear him.

“It’s the real deal alright.” Ignoring the inquisitive stares sent his way, he handed the case back to Eren. “Did you know that the former police chief is my father? And that necklace you have there was a gift to my mother?”

Her mouth dropped opened. She didn’t know what to say to that. What _do_ you even say to that? _“Sorry I stole from your parents”_? With her luck, the building would collapse on itself and that would be the end of her.

Seeing her shocked expression, Erwin threw his head back and laughed. “Don’t worry Eren, I’m not going to hand you over to the station or to my father for that matter.” Letting out the rest of the chuckles, he asked, “How old are you?”

“22.”

“How long have you been doing this for? The stealing.”

“About two years now.”

“Impressive,” she heard Levi muttered under her breath.

Erwin leaned forward. “So you spent the past two years stealing. Why is that? Surely a woman like you is smart enough to make proper decisions and lead a good life that doesn’t involve breaking the law.”

“Because I don’t have any other options.” Voice cold, she closed her eyes to avoid seeing their sure-to-be looks of pity. “My mother died and my father got addicted to gambling and drinking. He spent all of the savings we had and borrowed money from shady people. He left us to god knows where and this is all I can do to help my sister.”

The silence that followed was deafening. All she could hear was her heart beating in her ears and her ragged breaths. The room felt suddenly smaller, somehow. She hated it. This feeling of being trapped. She wanted to get out of here, out of this city and to the countryside or anywhere else where she could live peacefully with her sister. No worries about money and the fear of people coming after them. She hated feeling useless and not doing more to protect the only family she had left. She could feel tears threatening to fall and she hated herself even more for it.

Someone hit her forehead and the pain made her flinch back. “Hey, don’t cry now.” Levi was there, standing next to Erwin with a contemplative look on her face. She didn’t look angry or sad from her story, just… thinking with a distant expression. “So, what do you think, Erwin?”

Erwin flashed his colleague a smirk. “I think that you and she are more alike than you realize.” Not waiting to see her reaction, he focused his attention back on Eren. “If you don’t mind, I would like to speak with your boss.”

Lips pressed into a firm line, she shook her head. “I’m not telling you where they are.” Even if her life was going downhill, Pixis was the only person who reached a hand out to her – the only person who gave her hope to live again. She was loyal to a fault so there was no way that she would out him out and get him in danger.

“Puh-lease,” Levi said, “The old man is probably having a heart attack knowing that you haven’t gone back to HQ yet.” Examining her immaculate nails, she continued, “Let me guess, ancient as a dinosaur, bald, worry lines and an incredible mustache.”

“Careful, Levi. Dot would be pleased to hear that hidden compliment,” Erwin teased.

Levi rolled her eyes. “And how could I forget his flirty habits with women.”

“Wait,” Eren interrupted, “You know him?”

Erwin and Levi looked at each other, having a conversation through their eyes alone, making Eren wonder what the relationship between the two of them was. She didn’t wait long as Erwin was the one who broke the silence between them. “Let’s just say that something like this came up before.” Getting up, he offered his hand out to Eren. “I think we wasted enough time here and I’m sure the police are no longer patrolling this area anymore.”

Accepting his hand, she hoisted herself up. “Where are we going?”

Levi gently nudged her towards the door. “Where else? To Pixie’s cave of course.”

* * *

If the ride to Pixis’s place was awkward, then the current atmosphere was downright suffocating. Both Erwin and Pixis has matching smiles on their faces while Levi was off to the side with a perpetual scowl on her face. She felt like the odd one out considering that the others in the room still had blank faces (but then again, she could never tell with the glasses on).

“Smith.”

“Dot.”

“Levi.”

“Old man.”

For some reason, that made Pixis beam. “Eren’s just like you, she calls me that all the time.” He was laughing and Erwin joined in with a chuckle. Levi, however, was still glowering.

“I can’t fucking believe I’m back here again,” she grumbled.

“Wait.” Blinking, Eren turned her attention to her. “You came here before?”

“Eren, dear, you’re not the only stray that I’ve taken in,” Pixis supplied. “I took Levi in years ago, much younger than you were at the time. Her home life was very similar to yours.”

Curiosity peaked, Eren couldn’t help but stare at her.

“Mother died shortly after I was born and I had a dead-beat father,” shrugging Levi said, “I did what I had to do.”

“She was one of the best in the organization,” Pixis gushed like a grandfather showing off pictures of his grandkids. “She was able to replicate and create realistic fakes of things she has stolen. The only way that you were able to tell was through an appraiser. She went under the radar for so many years.

“But then Erwin found her and took her away from me,” Pixis pouted. _Pouted._ Eren wanted to facepalm. He was almost 50 for crying out loud!

“I _bought_ her from you,” Erwin corrected, as though it would’ve made the situation better. “She was incredibly skilled in making alterations and replicas, there was no way I was going to let such talent go to waste. And as we’re all aware, you’re a fan of her work too.”

“I just missed her, that’s all. Having Eren here reminded me of the good ol’ days.”

Levi, unlike Eren, actually smacked her forehead, grumbling about stupid old men and their priorities. Something about their conversation and the way Levi looked so done with everything was making her apprehensive about this whole ordeal. There was something that she was missing. Why hadn’t Pixis escorted them out of the building once she brought them to their ‘secret’ base? Why was he letting Erwin chat with him on friendly terms even though they were stealing from his company in a roundabout way? Why had Pixis ordered her to go on these frequent missions if it would raise suspicion from the public and police force?

Unless…

“You were making me steal their brand to get their attention.”

All eyes turned towards her but she was glaring at Pixis who was smiling widely. “Isn’t that right?” she dared him to disagree with her.

Pixis clapped his hands in delight. “I knew I kept you around for a reason.”

Eren, however, didn’t share the same sentiment. “What the fuck, Pixis? I could’ve got caught during any of these missions just so you can have a little reunion. Is this- am I just a joke to you?”

“Quite the opposite really.” With the fuming brunette in the room, his amusement calmed down so he could speak with her. “I know your abilities, Eren. I was confident that you were more than capable of not getting caught so I sent you out on those missions. There was no way that you would let yourself get caught, we both know you’re too stubborn for that.” His lips quirked up, “And yes, there is a reason why I was targeting the Jewels of Freedom in particular.”

“And that is?”

“Well, that’s up to Smithy boy here to decide. Erwin?”

Erwin stroked his chin as he examined Eren. “I did happen to notice it when we first met. She’s very much a diamond in the rough, isn’t she?”

If it wasn’t for Eren’s continuous glaring, Pixis would’ve cackled. “That’s what I thought as well when we first met.”

“Interesting. Different. We can definitely work with that. Levi, your thoughts?”

She almost forgot the other woman in the room. Stepping in her line of view, Eren almost jumped at the way Levi was staring intently at her. She felt hands cupping her cheeks and was yanked down so she was at eye-level with her. Her head was moved around in different directions and if she wasn’t so confused about what was going on, she would have been pissed from being treated like a puppy in the hands of a curious child.

“Strong features, sharp jawline, smooth skin, and killer eyes,” Levi said. “I think we have a winner here, Erwin.”

“I knew her eyes would’ve done you in.”

“My eyes?” Eren couldn’t help but interject.

“Your eyes,” Levi started to explain, “Your eye color alone makes you perfect.”

Eren rolled said eyes from the comment. “Yeah, I know. “They’re like emeralds.”” she said in an unamused tone, “It’s not the first time I heard that.”

Levi didn’t even bother masking her snort. “You’re right, but there’s more to it.” If it was possible, she leaned even closer. “ _Trapiche Emeralds_ to be exact. They’re exceptionally rare within emeralds and are noted by their six-pointed appearance, making them look like stars.”

With Levi’s eyes boring into hers, Eren found it hard for her to look away.

“Your eyes are going to be the key to launch a new line,” Levi declared, letting her go. “Let’s get this done and over with. I’m feeling inspired all of a sudden.”

“Careful, Levi. Leave the designing to the professionals.”

“Fuck off, eyebrows.” Letting go of Eren’s cheeks with a light tap, Levi strolled over to Pixis’s desk. “How much, old man?”

“I don’t know, Levi. She’s quite valuable to me. Are you asking me how much she is for a night?”

Eren sputtered, her face etched with embarrassment. She knew he was teasing, but this was too much for her considering everything that was going on.

And for the first time Eren met her, Levi’s lips formed a smile. Though she didn’t know her for too long, even Eren knew that smile wasn’t to be trusted. “Dot,” Levi said in a honey-like voice.

Pixis’s composure seemed to falter at that. “Ouch. First name _and_ a smile. You know that’s very underhanded for you to do that to me. My weak heart can’t take it.” Seeing how Levi’s smile didn’t fall, he slumped in his chair and frowned at Erwin. “Just so you know, I’m not too pleased with you right now.”

“You were the one who sent the invitation, Dot. We were just more than happy to accept,” Erwin defended.

“Enough chit-chat. How much?” Levi asked impatiently.

Unperturbed, his reply was immediate. “For Eren? You’ll have to ask her for yourself since she’s free now.”

“Wait. What?” For the most part of their conversation, Eren ignored them since she thought they were teasing at the expense of herself, but the way that Pixis worded his answer…

Standing up from his desk, he made his way over to Eren. “Free. You’re free, Eren.”

Her mind must be playing tricks on her. Did he say what she had always wanted to hear? “Free? But, the debt-”

“All paid off as of a few weeks ago.”

He clapped his hands on her shoulders, the weight of it was the only thing that she was holding on to, to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “There’s no way,” she whispered.

“Getting the paperwork to sell your house wasn’t easy but it helped a lot. And I don’t think you realized it, but you were usually requested for the majority of these heists and you were paid well for every successful one.” Snapping his fingers, one of the men in suits came to Pixis and handed him an envelope.

While she was dazed, he pressed the envelope into her hands. “This is your pay for those weeks you were with us. I’m sorry, Eren, for not telling you earlier. I’m just a selfish old man who wasn’t ready to let you go yet.”

She didn’t register the tears falling when she threw her arms around him, holding him as tightly as possible. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” If this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up from it. The past few years was hard on her and Isabel but knowing that there’s no longer anything holding them back from living normally again made her so happy that she could barely contain herself.

She didn’t know how long she was holding onto Pixis until an unconcealed cough ripped her back into reality. “Oh, sorry.” Her cheeks were red with embarrassment when she pulled away. Finally noticing that the room was empty save for her, Pixis, Erwin, and Levi, she tried to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand.

“Don’t worry about it, he probably enjoyed it more than he should have.” Levi was next to her, handing her a packet of tissues. “Here, you look like a mess.”

Accepting the tissues, she cleaned her face the best that she could without a mirror. She heard Levi sigh before another tissue was on the side of her neck, wiping away the tear tracks. “Oh. Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Looking at her face, Levi nodded in approval before stepping back. “Now that we got the sentimental stuff out of the way, let’s get back to business.”

“Levi, she’s feeling overwhelmed right now. We can ask her another day,” Erwin said.

“Ask me what?” Getting over her initial embarrassment, she was wondering why Erwin and Levi were still here.

“We have a proposition for you-”

“Be our model,” Levi said.

Eren’s brow raised while Erwin sighed heavily. “Levi, that’s not how we propose ideas to someone.”

“That’s why you’re the one who talks to clients, not me.”

“Clearly,” he responded dryly.

Blinking, Eren diverted the conversation back to her. “Model?”

“Yes, model. The Jewels of Freedom creates a new jewelry line every year and we would like you to be our featured model for the upcoming lineup,” Erwin explained. “We normally find a model that matches the new collection but this time, our head jeweler has taken an interest in you and would like to center around the new pieces on you.”

“Head jeweler?” She turned to Levi. “You?”

“Who else could’ve made that necklace that you’re holding hostage there?” Despite the indifferent expression, her voice was proud. Eren almost gasped. The person who made that incredible necklace was her?

Pixis chuckled. “That reminds me. Eren, give the necklace back to Erwin since I was personally using that as bait to get their attention.”

Quickly taking off the attached bag from her belt, she handed it over to Erwin. “Sorry,” she muttered.

“Don’t be. It just means that my father needs to update his security system,” Erwin brushed off. He gave her a professional smile. “I know that this is sudden, but we would really like to have you on board with this project. You don’t need to answer right away but we would be happy if you would consider it.”

Glancing at his companion, he tacked on, “And Levi would especially love to work one-on-one with you. To get inspiration flowing of course.”

Levi growled and smacked his arm. “No. I know what your messed up mind is thinking and I’m telling you to stop. We’re done for today. You old men have done enough meddling for all of us that’ll last a lifetime.”

Surrendering to her attack, Erwin pulled a card out of his pocket and gave it to Eren. “Here’s our contact information. Please feel free to call or drop by the store to let us know your decision.”

Eren nodded as they made their way towards the door. “Thank you. It was nice meeting you two despite the unusual circumstances.”

“Likewise. We hope to see you again soon, Eren.”

“Just don’t break into my apartment when I’m naked next time.”

Eren sputtered while Pixis laughed heartedly beside her. Levi stuck out her tongue in a teasing manner as she followed Erwin out the door.

When the two were gone, Eren collapsed onto the nearest chair. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered.

She almost jumped when a hand rested on top of her head before ruffling her hair. “Believe it, kiddo. You worked hard for the past few years. Great work.”

Tears welled up again. Blinking them back, she offered him a smile. “Thank you, Dot, really. You gave me so much and given me a chance to prove myself. How could I ever repay you?”

“Oho. Using my first name as well, aren’t ya? I guess it’s a great night for me.” Pulling up beside her, he said, “And you already have, Eren. You did so much in the time you were here and helped the organization in ways you don’t know. Of course, you can continue what you’ve been doing for us but I think it’s time for you to retire and focus on living your life again. But if there’s anything you could ever do for me is that I want you to visit from time to time. I get lonely sometimes, you know?”

Giggling, Eren nodded. “Will do.” She yawned loudly as she got up. “I think it’s time for me to go to sleep. Today has been very eventful.”

“Certainly.” Pixis escorted her to the door. “You and your sister can stay in that apartment as long as you need to until you’re ready.”

“Thank you again.”

Pixis’s smile disappeared underneath his mustache. “You’re welcome, Eren. Have a good night.”

“See you around, Dot.”

* * *

It took a few more days until everything settled back down again.

Eren waited until Isabel came back home from school the next day to tell her the news. There was a lot of screaming, crying, and smiles from both of them that afternoon. They celebrated their first night debt-free at a restaurant that Isabel had wanted to go. It was a nice, quaint place with delicious food, but Eren suspected the main reason why Isabel wanted to go to this particular restaurant was because of the cute server with blond hair that Isabel kept chatting with for the majority of the dinner. She briefly wondered if it was someone that Isabel had a crush on but no matter, she would tease her later about it.

With her newfound freedom, Eren had more time on her hands and wondered what she was going to do now. Should she go back to school? Continue her current job, go part-time while she studied, or quit completely? She didn’t even remember why she was going to school in the first place since her first few semesters were just core classes before she declared any majors. It felt weird, that all of a sudden, she no longer had a purpose and was wandering aimlessly without a clear path to follow.

Which was how she found herself standing outside the Jewels of Freedom’s flagship store.

Tugging down her dress to make herself look more presentable, she nervously walked inside. It was a luxurious and modern store with glass counters filled with beautiful jewelry and watches displayed on various fixtures. Her fingers twitched as she eyed the expensive accessories and she mentally smacked herself for it. She had to remind herself that she wasn’t a thief anymore. And despite how out-of-place she felt in this fancy store, it wouldn’t do any good for her if she did something to draw more attention to herself.

“Eren? Is that you?”

Snapping out of her musings, she gave Erwin a polite smile as he approached her. He was in a perfectly-fitted suit with a dual-winged brooch that was the Jewels of Freedom’s logo pinned on the lapel of his suit. “Hello, Erwin. I hope I didn’t come at a bad time.”

“Nonsense.” Shaking her hand, he led her around the store. “I’m so glad you’re here. Let me show you how this store operates.”

The Jewels of Freedom was run differently than what she expected. While the front of the store was showcasing the jewelry that was produced by them, the backroom was even more so impressive. There were several people hunched over their desks with lamps overhanging above them and from what Eren saw, each person was working on something different. One person was engraving on the inside of a gold band while the person next to them was crafting what looked like a mold of some sort.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“Impressive, isn’t it? We pride ourselves on being the ideal place for talented jewelers and the like to express their creativity here and the result is producing unique and exceptional quality to our clients. No two rings are ever made the same here.”

They passed by a few employees who, for the most part, ignored them as they continued working on their pieces but there were a few who would stare at her as she walked by. Eren’s eyes glazed over all the shiny gemstones that were sitting right beside them, waiting to be placed and included in the final result.

Erwin escorted her to his office and both sat down as he settled behind his desk. “Can I be optimistic and hope that you’re here because you’re interested in being our model?”

“Kind of. I was just wondering what you’re asking me to do and for how long.” She was still struggling with what she wanted to do exactly, but Erwin’s offer was another option on the table she should consider before making a final decision.

Leaning back in his chair, Erwin laced his hands together. “As I briefly mentioned that night, we normally create a new collection or series based on an idea and everyone here will create something for it. Then we would go to an agency and hire a model or models that would best complement the jewelry.

“But this time, we’re doing the opposite – we want to make jewelry based on _you_. Levi and I are interested in your looks, aesthetically speaking of course. You have the desired features that we typically look for in our models but you also have this rough quality that appeals to the masses. Perfect yet imperfect, beautiful and strong-willed, the contradictions make you a great source of inspiration to our jewelers.”

Eren didn’t know how to handle this kind of compliment. “Er, thanks?”

Unfazed by her awkward answer, he chuckled. “Good thing Levi isn’t the one speaking with you. She would have said, “I like your face” and that would be the end of the explanation.”

“Yeah. She seemed very, um, blunt.”

“Very much so.” His blue eyes were twinkling with amusement. “And to answer your second question, the modeling won’t actually take much of your time. I first plan to have you sit and have our designers evaluate you and ask you a few questions about yourself. Then the designers will draft a couple of sketches and have me take a look at them for approval. During this process, there will be times where I’ll ask you to come and sit in so they will have a better idea of what they want the final piece to look like, very similar to how a fashion designer will work with a runway model. It’ll take some time for our designers to create the piece but once they’re done, I’ll contact you so we can book a photo shoot.”

“Oh. It doesn’t seem that there’s much for me to do.”

Erwin shook his head. “Not really, no. You will be serving as inspiration to the designers for the new collection. We’re trying something different with having a live model but I believe it will turn out well. It’s not too much of a stretch considering how we focus on tailoring pieces to our clients.

“And if you’re in school we can work around your schedule to make it convenient for you. It’s a very flexible job and you will be paid well for each visit and the photo shoot of course.”

“But it’s only temporary, right?”

“Yes. Were you hoping for something a little more stable?” Erwin asked, looking at her curiously.

Eren bit her lips. “A little. After that night I’m just trying to decide what I should do with my life.”

“I see. It must have been a shock for you to learn of your newfound freedom.”

It felt odd speaking about her situation with someone – someone who knew – besides her sister. “Yes. I was wondering what I should do now. Continue work? Go back to school? Do both? I was hoping that coming here would help me figure out what steps I should start taking.”

Erwin rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner. “I do recall Dot mentioning that you were good with your hands. You were his personal mechanic whenever something broke down.”

Eren couldn’t help but snort at that. “At least once a week someone would break the coffee machine and I would be the one to fix it. And sometimes the gear would get faulty and I was the one who would find out what was wrong.” Scrunching her brows, she registered what Erwin said. “Wait, Pixis talked to you about me?”

“Do you honestly think I can stop Dot once he talks about his children? He regarded you very highly and I can see why he didn’t want to let you go.”

“But he did.”

“That’s how much he cares for you,” a voice chimed in.

Eren turned around to see Levi leaning on the doorframe. She was in professional attire this time and was wearing the same brooch that Erwin had on. Her heels clicked as she stepped into the room. “He’s an oddball, but he’s still looking after you in a roundabout way.”

As Levi sat down next to her, Eren asked, “Is that why he got us to meet? To introduce ourselves to each other?”

“Pretty much.”

“He’s so weird,” Eren couldn’t help but comment.

Levi’s lips tugged into a smirk. “It’s what he does. I can think of another old man who loves to meddle in others’ affairs.”

“I’m not that old,” Erwin interjected.

“Didn’t say it was you,” she replied, looking away innocently.

Erwin sighed. “What brings you here, Levi?”

“The designers were talking about how there was a cute girl around and that they saw you lead her into your office. I was just making sure you’re not cheating on your husband at work.”

Eren didn’t have time to blush at the comment before Erwin answered her with a frown, “You very well how faithful I am to Mike, Levi.”

“I know. You guys get all gross whenever you guys even look at each other,” Levi said as she made a face. “Besides the rumor going around the workshop, I’m here to get my design approved.” She tossed the sketchbook onto his desk and crossed her legs, waiting.

Erwin looked skeptical as it landed perfectly in front of him. “You’re seriously going to show me your sketch in front of Eren?”

“Yes? What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing.” Shaking his head, he gestured Eren to come over. “Here, Eren. I want you to take a look at what our head jeweler has in mind for our new collection that you’ll be wearing soon.”

Walking around his desk, Eren leaned forward to look at the open page of the sketchbook. After a moment, she furrowed her brows and hesitantly asked, “What exactly am I looking at?”

Erwin doubled over in full-blown laughter. Eren couldn’t recall the last time she heard any person laugh that hard in her life. Levi, on the other hand, was silently fuming on the other side of the desk. Her face was red with either embarrassment or anger, Eren couldn’t tell, but she was definitely scowling. “Shut the fuck up, eyebrows. It’s not that funny.”

Even when Erwin calmed himself down, his smile was still present. “Sorry, Levi. It’s been a while since someone made such an honest comment about your drawing skills. I couldn’t help it.” Turning to Eren he said, “Don’t worry. It takes a while to get used to Levi’s, uh, artistic designs.” Ignoring Levi’s “fuck you” directed at him, he continued, “It’s a necklace and earring set. See, here’s the chain and the motif she’s going for is wings.”

When he pointed out some areas of the sketches, she nodded, kind of seeing it. They must have been working with each other for a long time if he could decipher what she was going for. “It looks… interesting.”

Erwin chuckled. “Trust me, the end result will be much better than what we’re seeing now.”

Taking back her notebook, Levi tried to hit him with it but he ducked away in perfect time. Yup. They definitely worked together long enough. “It’s going to be perfect, you’ll see. The best piece I’ll make to date.”

“Oh? Is it because you have a beautiful source of inspiration this time around?” Erwin asked teasingly.

“I hate you. Hange’s not even here and it feels like they are.”

“Speaking of which,” looking at Eren, he mentioned, “if you’re still considering your options, I would like to add to it and ask if you would like to be a bench jeweler while one of them is away on parental leave.”

“Bench jeweler? What’s that?”

“It’s pretty much what I do,” Levi said. “They’re the jack-of-all-trades. I craft and create jewelry and make custom pieces and taking old pieces and making something new with them.”

“Too bad designing is not one of your stronger skill sets,” Erwin couldn’t help adding, ignoring the dirty look shot at him. “And yes, that’s primarily what a bench jeweler does. Based on Dot’s recommendation, I think you’re suited to do jewelry and watch repairs if it’s something that interests you.”

“No offense, but that’s too much of a generous offer, sir. Modeling is one thing, but to offer me a position in your company is another.” Eren frowned. There was no way she could be this lucky. The past few years were spent in misfortune and grief. But all of a sudden, everything that has happened in the past few days has been too good to be true. And a job offer from a fancy jewelry brand adding on top of that? There had to be a catch somewhere.

“Believe it, kid. Erwin doesn’t offer positions to just anybody.” Levi had a serious expression on her face. “I know you didn’t have an easy life, but believe me, karma is finally making its way back to you and bringing back the light that you rightfully deserve.”

Eren felt touched by her words. Out of anyone out there, Levi was the one who understood her situation the most. And by her saying that she could do it, that she deserves good things happening to her, she believed her.

“You don’t have to make a decision today, Eren. We can wait for your answer when you’re ready.”

“No.” Smiling she looked at the both of them. “I think I’ll accept your offer – both of them.”

While Erwin was congratulating on her joining the team, she caught a smile forming on Levi’s face and it made her heart flutter.

* * *

“Look this way. Yes, like that. Now, don’t move.”

Eren stayed perfectly still as the camera shuttered several times. She did her best as to not to wince every white flash that burst in her field of vision.

“Perfect. Take five to change.”

Nodding, Eren took off the jewelry she had on and walked over to her changing area. Rolling her shoulders, she stripped out of the floral jumpsuit and grabbed the next outfit on the rack.

The following weeks went by like a blur. Taking up Erwin’s offer, she quit her other job and started training at the Jewels of Freedom. Levi was her designated mentor at the beginning and while it was difficult to learn everything about a new industry at once, her determination and stubbornness helped her improve her skills and techniques quickly under Levi’s constant guidance.

She was also poked and prodded by fellow jewelers during that time as they scrutinize her and ask her a few personal questions (but nothing too personal thankfully) to get a better understanding of the subject of the new collection. To her surprise, they would ask her for her opinion on the piece they were working on before showing it to Erwin. And while Eren wasn’t exactly a designer or a jewelry person in general, she stole enough of them to have a good understanding of what looked nice and what a client would like. (Not like they needed to know that. Except for Erwin and Levi.)

Isabel was ecstatic to hear about her new job and Eren never knew how much it meant to her to hear how happy and excited Isabel was for her about the opportunity. Isabel hugged her tightly and said how things were finally looking up and how sorry she was for not doing more to help her while they were struggling. Eren cried again and reassured Isabel multiple times that it was her decision to carry them through the debt and Isabel shouldn’t ever blame herself if she was the one who insisted her to continue school. They slept in the same bed that night and Isabel made them breakfast. A proper one with pancakes and waffles to celebrate Eren’s new job.

Eren loved her sister dearly and would fight hell and back for her.

Slipping into a burgundy velvet dress, she adjusted the collar around her neck when the door knocked. “Come in.”

Levi stepped in and closed the door behind her. “You look nice.”

“You as well.” Eren tried her best not to blatantly stare at Levi as she walked by her in her strapless black dress. To Eren’s surprise, Levi had a feather tattoo on the back of her right shoulder. It was multi-colored with the tip of the feather turning into little birds. Eren wanted to touch it, to trace the inked lines under her fingertips but held herself back.

Instead, she jokingly said, “I think that was the first time you ever knocked the door before coming in.”

Levi smirked. “Well, I didn’t want to walk in on you naked unlike one of us here.”

“That was _one_ time.” Eren rolled her eyes but she laughed.

In the weeks working with Levi, she learned how playful the other could be and how much she genuinely liked working with her. She learned that while Levi tended to be lazy and procrastinate far more often than Erwin would like, her work was immaculate and the result was always breathtaking. Her attention to detail was something to be feared and while she may act aloof at times, she always took her assignments seriously to create something perfect and unique to her clients. And with how her home life was similar to hers, Eren respected her a whole lot and the other jewelers would tease her on how much she was like a puppy, following Levi around in the workshop and hanging off of every word she said.

“You have it bad, Sis,” was what Isabel told her after Eren praised Levi’s skills over dinner one night.

And oh, how badly she did.

Even Pixis couldn’t help but tease her about Levi whenever she visited him. Asking her when was the wedding and when he would be expecting grandchildren and stuff like that. If she didn’t respect him so much, she would have thrown something at him for that.

Levi placed two jewelry cases on the counter and opened them to reveal the necklace and earring sets that Levi had been slaving over for weeks. Gesturing Eren over, she said, “Here, put the earrings on while I put the necklace on for you.”

Obeying, Eren grabbed the winged earrings that were sparkling with little emeralds and diamonds as Levi went behind her with the necklace. Eren bit back a laugh as Levi nudged her side so she could squat down so that she would be able to reach behind.

Feeling [the necklace](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3c/93/1c/3c931ceb6300a367a6db1f5da6798556--angel-wings-jewelry-angel-wing-necklace.jpg) secured around her neck, Eren touched it in wonder. “This is really beautiful, Levi.” The silver chain went around her neck, attached to a pair of wings that spread along her collar. Like the earrings, the wings were made up of emeralds and diamonds and was linked to a diamond-embedded ring that was holding onto a large, tear-shaped emerald. It was a bigger piece than Levi normally worked on but there were delicate details within the wings if you looked closely enough.

“Yeah, I outdid myself this time but there’s something else better that I plan on doing.” Reaching for the counter, she grabbed the other necklace and handed it to Eren. “Here, do me.”

Eren flushed at the implication but said nothing to comment on it. With Levi’s back to her, she had the chance to closer see the tattoo on Levi’s shoulder. It was a gradient of colors from blue starting from the bottom to pink to a dark purple-gray at the tip before silhouettes of birds flew out of the feather. Wings seemed very symbolic to Levi and Eren saved the question of it for another time.

Finally hooking the necklace on, Levi turned to look in the mirror and nodded. “Looks good.” The set Levi was wearing was very similar to Eren’s but she had a single earring with a black pearl for the stud and a silver chain attached to a cuff on top of her ear. Her necklace didn’t have a large gemstone, but the base of the wings touched each other and instead of emeralds, she had sapphires.

She looked absolutely stunning and Eren had to physically turn to look away from her. “Uh, yeah. You do.”

Erwin decided to have the centerpiece of the new collection to include both of them. Levi rejected the idea at first, saying how she didn’t want to be dolled up and pose in front of the camera, but Erwin promised her a bonus and acquiring a gemstone of her choice if she went with it and that got her to agree pretty quickly.

Eren, on the other hand, was ecstatic. Not only because she wouldn’t have to do this whole modeling and photo shoot thing alone but she would also get to see Levi dressed up. Not that Levi didn’t already look gorgeous day-to-day or anything, but it was a chance to see her in another light and see how she could get even more beautiful than she already was. Damn. She had it bad.

“Careful, Eren. I may take that as a compliment.” Walking towards her, Levi held her hand. “Let’s go or else Erwin will take this time to make out with Mike and no one wants to see that.”

Forgetting everything, Eren held the hand tightly as she was led out the room. “Okay.”

She would gladly follow wherever Levi was willing to take her.

* * *

“Hey, Eren.”

Eren looked up from her workbench, scrambling to put her tools down safely as something was thrown at her. Catching the box, Eren frowned disapprovingly. “Levi, what the fuck? I was working on something.”

Levi turned away and crossed her arms. “Just open it.”

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, she did what she was told and gasped, almost dropping the box. A beautiful [Trapiche Emerald](https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/253029784/emerald-engagement-ring-halo-emerald?ref=shop_home_active_11) was polished into a cabochon with a bezel setting and fixed onto double gold bands with diamonds encrusted around it. It was simply breathtaking and Eren couldn’t stop looking at the spokes of the green gemstone, her voice in whispered awe.

“Levi, it’s beautiful.”

“Marry me.”

Eren’s eyes zipped up to hers, finally noticing Levi’s nervous posture and pink cheeks. From where she was sitting, she could tell how much more straight Levi’s back from the nerves was how immaculate her hair and makeup was, most likely in preparation for this moment. Eren felt her heart swell with all affection she felt towards the other woman. Looking down at the ring again, she realized something.

“Levi.”

“Yes, Eren?”

“You do know that we haven’t even gone on an official date yet, right?”

...

...

...

Time ticked by as they stared at each other; however, Eren was patient. She kept fiddling with the decorative case as she let her words sink in.

Finally, Levi snapped out of her trance and looked at her in disbelief. “Fuck. I knew I forgot something.”

Now it was Eren’s turn to look at her incredulously. “You forgot.” It was statement than a question.

Levi let out a drawn-out sigh and slumped into the chair across the workbench. “Dammit. I spent weeks drafting designs and carving wax to figure out the perfect size and shape when I got my hands on the emerald.”

Eren giggled as she closed up the ring, silently regretting denying herself of the beautiful ring. Sliding it back to her, Eren said, “Well, I might not be saying yes to marry you right now, but I will say yes to a date if that’s okay with you.”

Levi looked at her and then to the box, then back to her and then back to the box. Finally making a decision, she took the box back and pocketed it. “Fine. Date first, marry later.”

Eren rolled her eyes but she was amused, nonetheless. “Erwin was right. You really don’t know how to propose to someone.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you magickitt for suffering along with me and making sure I didn't make this longer than my mind was running the idea with. :'D Check out her entire post [here](http://magickitt.tumblr.com/post/168589172718/happy-late-birthday-redfairie-in-collaboration)!


End file.
